Author: Domenico Orlando

On December 10 we will have a seminar by

Julian Sonner (University of Geneva)

Title: Causal symmetry breaking: the EFT of quantum chaos

Abstract:

Quantum chaotic systems are often defined via the assertion that their spectral statistics coincides with, or is well approximated by, random matrix theory. In this talk I will explain how the universal content of random matrix theory emerges as the consequence of a simple symmetry-breaking principle and its associated Goldstone modes. This approach gives a natural way to identify wormhole-like correlations, even for individual theories.
I will also discuss how to extend the Goldstone effective-field-theory approach to study operator correlation functions, and present some thoughts on how to understand causal symmetry breaking in holographic bulk gravity.

Meeting information:
10th of December at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/0585a8

On November 26 we will have a seminar by

Paul Townsend (Cambridge U., DAMTP)

Title: Interacting alternatives to Maxwell’s equations preserving
conformal and duality invariance

Abstract:
The source-free Maxwell’s equations are both conformal invariant and
invariant under an SO(2) electromagnetic duality group. It is commonly
thought that these conditions imply their uniqueness. However, there are
two interacting electrodynamics theories with the same field content and
all the symmetries of Maxwell’s equations. One was found in 1983 by
Bialynicki-Birula from a strong-field limit of Born-Infeld theory; it has
an enhanced Sl(2;R)-duality invariance.  The other, dubbed “ModMax”, was
found very recently from a weak-field limit of a ‘generalized’ Born-Infeld
theory; it has a dimensionless coupling constant and reduces to Maxwell
for zero coupling. This talk will review the main features of both
Bialynicki-Birula and ModMax electrodynamics.

Meeting information:
26th of November at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/cf0ae7

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/35895c

On November 12 we will have a seminar by

Razvan Gurau (Heidelberg University)

Title: Random Tensors, from random geometry to conformal field theory

Abstract: In this talk I will briefly review the theory of Random Tensors. In the limit of large size (large N), random tensors exhibit a new “melonic” limit, simpler than the planar limit of random matrices but richer than the one of random vectors. This “not too complicated but not too trivial” situation is ideal for analytic computations. I will then discuss some applications of random tensors to random geometry and conformal field theory.

Meeting information:
12th of November at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/c8c4e2

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/d2610c

On October 29 we will have a seminar by

Alberto Zaffaroni (Università di Milano Bicocca)

Title: Universal black holes in AdS

Abstract:
In this talk I discuss a universal microscopic counting for AdS black holes that arise as solutions of the half-maximal gauged supergravity in four and five dimensions. These solutions can be embedded in all AdS M-theory and type II string backgrounds with sixteen supercharges and provide an infinite set of examples dual to N = 2 and N = 4 conformal field theories in four and three dimensions, respectively.

Meeting information:
29th of October at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/f8e83e

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/bffcdf

On October 1st we will have a seminar by

Alexander Zhiboedov (CERN)

Title: Conformal Bootstrap in Mellin Space

Abstract:
I will talk about recent progress in analytic approaches to the conformal bootstrap. I will introduce Mellin space as a convenient tool to perform both perturbative and nonperturbative computations in conformal field theories. I will discuss dispersion relations in Mellin space, the sum rules that they lead to, and applications thereof. These include the Wilson-Fisher model in d=4-eps dimensions and holographic computations. I will also talk about generalization of these techniques to finite temperatures.

Meeting information:
1st of October at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/f3a2e1

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/21c6db

On June 18 we will have a seminar by

Luis Fernando Alday (Oxford)

Title: 6d (2,0) correlators and quantum M-theory

Abstract:
We study holographic correlators in maximally super-symmetric conformal field theories. This includes the 6d (2,0) theory, where our computation is dual to graviton scattering in weakly coupled M-theory on AdS₇ × S⁴. Although the theory is non-Lagrangian, analytic bootstrap techniques allow us to make computations to one loop order. The flat space limit of our results exactly reproduces the 11d M-theory S-matrix in flat space.

Meeting information:
18th of June at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/aabe3f

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/6cb0c1

On June 4 we will have a seminar by

Nathan Seiberg (IAS Princeton)

Title: Continuum Quantum Field Theories for Fractons

Abstract: Starting with a lattice system at short distances, its long-distance behavior is captured by a continuum Quantum Field Theory (QFT). This description is universal, i.e. it is independent of most of the details of the microscopic system. Surprisingly, certain recently discovered lattice systems, and in particular models of fractons, seem to violate this general dogma. Motivated by this apparent contradiction, we will present exotic continuum QFTs that describe these systems. This talk will have a different emphasis than previous talks with the same title and abstract.

Meeting information:
4th of June at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/c15d10

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/7e4c79

On May 21 we will have a seminar by

Sakura Schafer-Nameki (University of Oxford)

Title: Symmetries in 5d SCFTs and Gauge Theories

Abstract:
I will summarize recent progress in construction and studies of 5d N=1 gauge theories and their UV fixed points, with a focus on characterizing their global symmetries, both in the field theory and in the M-theory realization on a non-compact Calabi-Yau threefold.

Meeting information:
21st of May at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/fa094b

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/8250f0

On May 7 we will have a seminar by

Marcos Mariño (University of Geneva)

Title: Resurgence, WKB and strings

Abstract:
The WKB method has played a fundamental role in the development of quantum mechanics. In the 1980s and 1990s, and largely under the influence of Ecalle’s theory of resurgence, it was upgraded to the exact (or complex) WKB method. More recently, developments in supersymmetric gauge theory and string theory have provided a new perspective on this venerable subject. In this talk I will review the basic ingredients of the exact WKB method and present new results inspired by gauge theory/string theory. I will show in particular that the work of Gaiotto-Moore-Neitzke on BPS states provides an elegant solution of the exact WKB method as applied to arbitrary polynomial potentials. I will also discuss some open problems in the subject.

Meeting information:
7th of May at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/e3a214

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/fd14c0

On April 23 we will have a seminar by

Madalena Lemos (CERN)

Title: Surface defects in four-dimensional superconformal theories and chiral algebras

Abstract:
We study BPS surface defects in 4d superconformal field theories and show how symmetries constrain their anomaly coefficients. Focusing on N=(2,2) surface defects we review the protected subsector captured by a two-dimensional chiral algebra. We study the properties of the defect in this subsector and discuss how to compute the aforementioned anomaly coefficients.

Meeting information:
23rd of April at 14:30 Italian Time
Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/198435430

Slides are available at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/f8ed5f

You can watch the recording at
https://pandora.infn.it/public/e63cae